December 10, 1616 Central Calendar, 08:00
Albion Palace, Runepolis, Holy Milishial Empire
About a week into winter, the ten men and women of the Council of Imperial Ministers and their aides gathered around a round table with a magical projection table in the middle, replacing the long table they used to convene with Emperor Milishial VIII. The blue-and-gold-clad elf of the Imperial Household Office came over beside the seat where His Majesty would sit and announced to the assembled Ministers and Directors.
“Ladies and gentlemen, His Majesty will be joining you shortly, please wait for a moment.”
“Thank you, good sir.”
Marquis Ignis Schmill Pao, the tall, blonde-haired elven Military Affairs Minister and the de facto leader of the entourage, replied with a courteous nod. However, though his tone was even, there was an undertone of giddiness that made the fellow elf who had just informed them raise an eyebrow. Noticing the Imperial Household Official’s facial gesture, Ignis blinked and took a breath, his expression schooling into the stately calm more suited to the occasion.
Despite the somber atmosphere in the wake of the shocking revelations from the “Annonrial defectors” arriving one month ago, the Military Affairs Minister was in a chipper mood due to recent developments in his area of responsibility. However, he kept his emotions in check, mindful not to disrespect the sovereign, who was the most distressed by the news he had long sought to uncover. And that was the primary reason why the Council of Imperial Ministers was here at the command of the Emperor.
In the official reports, these defectors were described as members of a resistance group escaping the Annonrial Empire’s regime of a doomsday suicide cult—yes, that’s one way to put Zarathostra of the Messiah’s long-term goal.
However, that was just one of Amon’s plans at work. It appeared that only the Emperor in the Holy Empire’s executive branch was unaware of the White Lotus’ activities, which was honestly a bit baffling. But since Amon’s powers came from his ability to see the future, and someone who used to claim that he could see the future was exactly the reason Zarathostra of the Messiah was even born in the first place, it seemed wisest to keep the Emperor in the dark and gradually reveal information to prevent him from unintentionally dooming this world by murdering what he saw as yet another Ravernal cultist, yet another Deceiver, in cold blood.
As the Council waited for His Majesty’s arrival, Ignis couldn’t help but inwardly sigh. The White Lotus Leader was well-learned about history, but unfortunately it made him scared. The progenitor of Zarathostra of the Messiah, Sokrates the Deceiver, had once been one of His Majesty’s most trusted men—almost becoming the first and only Prime Minister of the Holy Empire, even—yet he was actually a literal Light-Winged Devil who proceeded to betray him, nothing but a descendant of the Devils’ creations, for his real family: the Ravernal Empire.
How Sokrates even faked his death due to how brutal the beatdown he was receiving in the tale his family told him was unknown… or was it really an exaggeration? But that was irrelevant because that damn bastard fled south and either managed to find a She-Devil or five before impregnating them to continue his Devil bloodline or worked on some unholy magic to duplicate himself, which might be an explanation why Sokrates in his true form and Zarathostra look extremely alike.
Ever since, because His Majesty is just as spiteful as he is wise, the chance of the Holy Milishial Empire ever becoming a constitutional monarchy like Mu was forever erased just like His Majesty came to forever despise people who claim that they ‘can see the future.’ But it’s not like His Majesty ever imposed his system on other civilizations. Critics would occasionally arise, but Ignis sees them as utterly stupid and a waste of time for attacking a stable nation. It was others who attempted to replicate His Majesty’s rule and failed in their efforts, because what worked for the Holy Empire wasn’t necessarily ideal for different people, regions, or time periods—the governance system included. Those people are just salty because they can’t find the correct path for themselves. Infuriating retards.
In any case, truth and reality are often disappointing.
His Majesty’s failure to eliminate the final trace of the Devils in this world shaped the history of this world for centuries after the fact. To say it made the Emperor devastated and furious was an understatement. He practically loathed himself right now for failing everyone… again…
At that moment, Ignis noticed a movement from the corner of his eye. The Imperial Household Official waiting near the Imperial Guards at the entrance placed a hand on his earpiece manacomm.
Alright, now that the Emperor is coming, the exposition ends here.
“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”
At the announcement, all eyes turned toward the door and as Emperor Milishial VIII entered, the Ministers and Directors rose to their feet in unison, bowing respectfully. Without dramatic nor grandiose display, the Emperor swiftly moved to his seat and took his place. His demeanor was as usual, despite the shadow of the revelation looming over him. When everyone had taken their seats after him, the Emperor’s deep voice opened the meeting.
“………In light of the recent event, from this moment forward I want the Council to convene monthly to report the progress of the countermeasures against our enemy,” he declared. “…I understand that this is an inconvenience, but unfortunately the enemy does not play by our rules. If there’s anyone who objects, speak candidly and without restraint.”
One by one, the members of the Council voiced their willingness. Though, by now it was merely a formality.
“…Now, let us begin.”
“Your Majesty, if I may… I would like to present the report regarding the newly operational ‘mass-production facility’ that the Military Affairs and Ancient Ministries have jointly overseen.”
Having waited for this moment since his arrival, the Minister of Military Affairs immediately seized the chance to speak first. Raising his hand, the elven Marquis caught the Emperor’s attention, who nodded. The Emperor, too, was anticipating Ignis’ report. Baron Bandero Capone, the Minister of Ancient Sorcerous Empire Countermeasures who shared responsibilities with him on this occasion, straightened his back.
After Ignis gestured to his aides to quickly distribute the documents to each participant, he inserted a Datapoint into the terminal embedded in his desk. In an instant, the round table’s projector flared to life, illuminating a detailed three-dimensional model of the facility in question.
Baron Lewis Maddock, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, leaned forward with a frown. “Minister Ignis, can it really be true that the large-scale ‘Cauldron’ was completed within just one month since construction began? Normally that would be literally impossible.”
Bandero stifled a condescending scoff. “Indeed, Minister Maddock, but we were there to witness its operation with our own eyes, hence we dare to speak as such. To clarify, what was completed is the core structure of the XAM system in some kind of enclosed futuristic dry dock and the control room essential for its operation. Minister Maddock is right, this kind of progress would have been literally impossible without the Roguerider Foundation’s assistance in providing the technology and transmutation magic they learned. As for the remainder of the facility, it remains under construction.”
‘It’s better for you all to abandon common sense when dealing with the Rogueriders. Nothing about them makes sense anymore…’ Bandero muttered under his breath after seeing the others’ awestruck expressions and the Emperor’s subdued nod. The Baron wondered, underneath that stoic façade, what was His Majesty thinking seeing all this?
“Umm… are we going to just let people with these kinds of skills as it is?” asked Marchioness Herodia Courtenay, the Minister of Treasury.
Count Benedict Legendorga, the Minister of Internal Affairs, drew a sharp breath. “What are you insinuating, Minister Courtenay?”
“I mean—”
“We will get to that part later,” the Emperor interrupted. “Let Ignis and Bandero finish first.”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty… my apologies.”
The Military Affairs Minister gave the only Marchioness in the Council a sidelong glance, but after all participants received the documents and started opening them, Ignis allowed himself a small grin. They all can play their part, but it still won’t prepare them for the great shock that would come.
“Your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen… to put it simply, I and Minister Capone have severely… utterly underestimated the potential of the Cauldron technology…” he prefaced, recalling the situation during his inspection of the new facility.
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December 4, 1616 Central Calendar – 6 Days Ago
Tyrene Province, Holy Milishial Empire
“Everyone, thank you so much for coming all the way here!”
Ashera, the boisterous older sister of Meteos Roguerider, welcomed the entourages of Marquis Ignis Schmill Pao and Baron Bandero Capone with a beaming smile as they went to inspect the facility still under construction down the Gulf of Caelus.
Speaking of which, the prodigy who invented the XAM himself was also present and appeared refreshed, flanked by his sister, his brother Cyrus, and his mentor Robin Calvello dispatched from the MOASEC earlier to greet the ministers during their arrival. Considering the tense situation with the threat from the south, it was indeed a moment of happiness for him.
“Aah………”
But after glancing past the siblings, both men and the rest of their entourage stood frozen in place, their gazes caught by the facility looming behind the Rogueriders. It was an underground dockyard spanning 700 meters in length and 80 meters in width, actually average for Milishial standards. However, it had the wrong orientation while its walls and the ceiling were lined with high-tech panels made of pedanium circuits in place of everything else one might expect from a dockyard. At the far end was a closed gate that led to a tunnel that connected it to the outside world. Never mind that the rest of the underground facility was still under construction, the most important part of a ‘Cauldron’ is already there in its translucent green glory. It was a sight beyond anything they had imagined.
As shocked hushes erupted among the entourage, both Ignis and Bandero numbly muttered to themselves.
“One month…?”
“Can you believe it, Minister Bandero…”
“It’s right in front of my eyes, Minister Ignis, what do you think it is? Some sort of theme park?”
“It’s not an ancient ruin…”
“Yeah… the Holy Empire’s indigenous advanced facility…”
“Hahaha…” Ignis let out a broken laugh, shaking his head. “This is… no work of man…”
Seeing both ministers barely acknowledge her, the silver-haired girl cackled and nudged her siblings to gaze at their absolutely gobsmacked expressions. Meteos turned to Robin beside him and spoke in a deadpan tone.
“Teacher, it looks like they went catatonic.”
“Kid…” the bespectacled brunette chortled and looked at him weirdly. “They’re literally having a hard time processing what they’re seeing.”
“Why would they do that? They were the ones who ordered us to build the Cauldrons, so we built the Cauldrons according to their requirements.”
“Okay, you’re just messing with me.”
Meteos shrugged.
“Haah… why can’t everyone be chill like Mrs. Robin, right?” Ashera chimed in.
“Don’t. That would mean that everyone will be weird like her.”
Robin pouted. She missed the days when Meteos was easier to tease. The Kid grows up so quickly…
Cyrus, ever the calm and collected one, cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Cauldron Ur. Once again, thank you very much for coming all the way here. To get started, please come this way.”
The visitors snapped out of their stupor, still stunned by the sight but moving nonetheless. Ignis was the first to speak, his voice a mixture of wonder and disbelief.
“Young Meteos…” he called. “Son, you’ve just passed the Imperial Board’s exam and earned the title of Mage… But from what we’re all seeing here, at the very least I can petition for you to be bestowed the Grand Mage’s title right away. Don’t you think so?”
Hearing that, Meteos chuckled with a hint of irony. One lifetime ago, he would have sacrificed everything to be called a “Grand Master.” But here, he was already beyond that yet unable to take the title because the timing wasn’t right.
“Of course I don’t mind that, but titles given based on public achievements can’t exactly use works that aren’t yet, can they? It just doesn’t make sense.”
Ignis sighed. “I suppose you’re not wrong.”
“We thought you’d be dissatisfied by just the compensation-slash-incentives from the Imperial Family alone.”
“I do that, I won’t be able to show my face to His Majesty.”
“The timing isn’t right,” Cyrus piped in.
“Hmm, I see.”
Now that Meteos finished maneuvering around the ordinary members of the Order of the Ancients, he must tread carefully around the Emperor, who is probably sizing up him and his family in this Third Timeline. There’s no way Lucius of the Morning Star would allow the Rogueriders to run wild with their bizarre technology and powers showing up one after another, hence there were Order’s operatives inserted into the Foundation to monitor them. However, he understood that antagonizing potential assets without cause would be unwise. Besides, the Emperor also knows a thing or two about the creators of his ancestors…
Guided by the Rogueriders, the visitors then arrived at the large control room, a space filled with computers manned by a mixture of personnel from the MOASEC and the Roguerider Foundation. The room was abuzz with activity, but the atmosphere shifted into one of focused attention as Meteos stepped forward near the glass pane to address the group.
“Here we are,” Meteos began, gesturing to a projector near the main control panel in the middle where a hologram of the facility could be seen tracking the progress of each section’s construction. “As you can see, we’re still in the early stages of operationalizing this facility. The XAM itself is not yet one hundred percent complete. The dockyard you see here is fully functional for a 500-meter stretch, but we’ll need to refine the mechanisms before we can utilize the full length.”
“You call that incomplete? I mean, you can already fit two new standard magic battleships even just by that,” Bandero grunted.
“Or four Alastor-pattern ships in one process, but who needs them anymore, right!? Ha!”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Well, it depends on your imagination. Imagination is always the limit.”
“Don’t say anything that might jinx us…”
Both Ashera and Robin were pumped up. However, they were also aware that they can’t just march in and request random ships to be built without planning… Or is it?
“Please continue, Young Meteos.”
“Yes. We’ve also stockpiled raw materials and fuel in advance, but the mechanism we’ve been designing to make it easier to feed the Cauldron itself is still unfinished. For today’s experiment, we’ll rely on the mages to handle the feeding. Don’t worry, it’s a temporary solution until the facility is complete.”
Ignis hummed and pondered about things for a moment before giving his two cents.
“That’s a fair start. But if we’re going to keep a massive Cauldron like this running efficiently, we’ll need a robust logistics system to get raw materials and fuel to the facility, particularly from the mines and refineries.”
“If we start constructing conspicuous roads and railways to deliver supplies to what appears to be nowhere, you can bet any outsider who sees that will start asking questions. So, in order to do that without attracting attention, we’re going to build decoys?” Bandero questioned.
“Just like what we do around the Ancient Sorcerous Empire’s ruins, yes.”
“What about just a simple new naval base?” Cyrus offered. When everyone turned to look at him, he continued. “That’s one option you can pick if the government passes a bill for naval expansion. This country did naval expansions for less important reasons before, so it’s less likely to be suspected. Then establish a refinery nearby. Whichever order you like.”
“What do you think is the right option?” Ashera curiously asked her brother.
“…Who knows? More often than not, a policy is only considered ‘smart’ or ‘stupid’ through hindsight. If it looks stupid but works, then it’s not stupid. History will be the judge.”
Robin rolled her eyes fondly, seeing how now Ashera was gushing over the usually quiet Cyrus.
“Huh, hiding in plain sight. I’ll see what I can do about it in the emergency conference,” mused Ignis.
Meteos sighed, realizing that this is the consequence of operating with the assumption that the enemy intelligence will catch wind of what they’re doing—in other words, overestimating the enemy. If only they had more time to prepare for the Annonrial Empire’s potential movements, they wouldn’t have needed to worry about such concerns. Given more time, they could have accessed the Hollow Planet Region and then tapped into the planet’s unlimited raw mana. Of all the Foundation’s projects, this one was among the most challenging, but it held the potential to unlock countless other possibilities.
At that moment, an operator approached Meteos and spoke to him.
“Excuse me, all mage teams are in position. The Cauldron is ready to utilize.”
“Ah, thank you.” Meteos turned at the visitors. “Now that the activation is complete, the Cauldron can commence a demonstration. Do you have any idea of items to be generated in mind? Just because this Cauldron is a shipyard doesn’t mean it can only create ships.”
Ashera raised her hand with a mischievous glint in her eye.
“Me! Me! Make me a big battleship! You know, with 20-inch guns, lasers, and homing energy launchers,” she proposed eagerly, her imagination racing ahead of practicality. Or is it?
“What.”
The visitors were either grunted in exasperation, chuckled at the absurdity, or just baffled.
Meteos shot her a dry look. “And why exactly do you want something like that, Older Sister?”
“Bah, refer to Second Brother’s words earlier. Who cares if it looks a little unconventional? If it works, then it works!”
Her expression was as serious as it was playful, but Meteos shook his head.
“Yeah, no, generating something like that complex would take more than a day. And when we’re done, dismantling it would just cost more mana. Not worth it for a first-time demonstration.”
Note that Meteos didn’t say it couldn’t. He just didn’t want to.
“Minister Ignis, you’re not thinking of putting that thing as a future requirement, are you?” Bandero said.
Ignis ignored those words and decided to voice a question. “Wait… Young Meteos, what else can this Cauldron do other than generate objects?”
Meteos motioned toward the holographic projector, where various options appeared, illuminating the possibilities.
“It can generate, dismantle, repair, and reforge—essentially, anything we have data and materials for. Whether it’s complex equipment, components for machinery, or enhancements for existing technology, we’re only limited by the raw materials and mana.”
“So that’s what Harley Hendrickson meant when he said Cauldron will reinvent logistics. That’s remarkable.”
Bandero exclaimed. “I see! Then we can one day bring the ships from the Dinosaur and Mothball Fleets to be reforged into newer ships if necessary. Hmm… I never thought such a thing was even possible before and yet here I am, proposing it like it’s Tuesday.”
“You sure adapt to the situation quickly, Minister Capone,” Robin teased.
“I’m glad, then.”
At that moment, Ignis cleared his throat with a serious expression on his face.
“……Alright. I suggest that you start small. Therefore, I propose that you make 500 cigarettes.”
“………”
Silence hung in the room as every single person stared at him in deadpan disbelief.
“I jest.”
“Unbelievable…”
“Fine, we’ll use mine, then.”
With a quiet sigh, Meteos approached the empty seat at the main control panel and sat down, while the rest of the people formed a huddle around him, eager to see what would unfold. For this initial demonstration, only 100 meters of the massive XAM’s length would be needed.
“Usually, an operator would use a Datapoint to load the design data. But that won’t be necessary here. I remember the designs by heart,” Meteos smiled cheekily.
He didn’t bother asking for a Datapoint to pull up stored design data as a trained Cauldron operator would. Instead, he straightened up, fingers hovering over the Manadriver attached to the control panel, ready to input data directly from his thoughts: 160 HELVS cargo trucks meticulously arranged in a formation of 8 rows by 20 columns. With a few modifications, he replaced the original materials with the rarer and exceptionally durable orichalcum and swapped the powerplant for a pedanium Land-Based Manadriver engine.
With this setup alone, the trucks would be stupidly durable and energy-efficient compared to others of the era—true marvels of magical technology that the ministers would remember for a long time.
Once everything was set, Meteos pressed a final button on the control panel to cast the spell. A powerful hum reverberated through the chamber, and materials started descending from above, disintegrating midair into shimmering particles that sparkled like stardust.
“What……”
Drawn by the mesmerizing sight, Ignis stepped closer to the glass pane. The particles swirled like a cloud and began coalescing into visible shapes on the dockyard’s floor. First, faint outlines of trucks materialized, aligned in perfect formation, their frames gradually thickening and taking on a polished metallic sheen. The trucks’ cargo beds filled up layer by layer, solidifying into cargo covers and reinforced frames until each HELVS truck emerged with a fully formed body, tires and all, standing silently in neat rows. Nearly an hour had passed since Meteos initiated the process.
“There you have it. Ladies and gentlemen, one hundred and sixty HELVS trucks, fresh from the oven—I mean, Cauldron, ready to use.”
“………”
“………”
“………”
The people in the control room were silent at first. Finally, after a beat, one of the Foundation personnel hesitantly began to clap. The applause spread through the room, starting tentative but quickly swelling with genuine appreciation.
“……If anyone’s interested, feel free to examine the results up close. Inspecting them firsthand is a good way to understand just how precise the Cauldron can be.”
And with that, the visitors clamored about wanting to see the results.
…………
To their further astonishment as they moved to an impromptu staging area, the trucks were indeed fully equipped, each with a full fuel cell. Crew members and visitors alike approached the ones already parked, marveling at their construction. Ignis and Bandero were among the first to inspect the trucks up close, giving their tires a firm nudge, examining the orichalcum body, and taking note of the pedanium circuits on the even more compact Manadriver engine. Seeing how the trucks were just being casually driven out of the Cauldron, everyone was convinced that Meteos really meant it when he said they were ready for use.
“Imagination is the only limit, huh…” Bandero mused, stealing a glance at the prodigy who was chatting with his siblings and mentor slightly away from the visitors. “Quite an idealistic thought, but if not for this as proof, I would’ve laughed.”
“If we create more Cauldrons, then from that point a conflict with the Ancient Sorcerous Empire will be decided by whose side can outproduce the other.”
Then, their imagination started to envision what they could possibly create with the power of Meteos’ Cauldron. And then, they started to see Cauldrons around the country.
The boy himself watched, a bitter smile tugging at his lips, as people swarmed around his creations. He didn’t need to say more; actions spoke louder than words, he thought, and today, the Cauldron’s ability to mass-produce spoke for itself.
‘I just wanted us all to live… if my actions today were to breed ill consequences in the future… dammit… that’s just unfair…’
If it weren’t for the Civilization Annihilation Game, he would never have had to take such a risky path. At that moment, he wondered if the measures he devised to safeguard his inventions were enough of a precaution.
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Present Day
Albion Palace, Runepolis
“—if you open the following page, you will find a list of items produced by Cauldron Ur on the December 4 test run. The specifications for each item as provided by the Ancient Ministry and the Roguerider Foundation are outlined in the second attached document.”
Minister Ignis urged the still-speechless meeting participants to check the results, prompting the frantic rustling of papers to be heard.
After completing the production of 160 HELVS trucks, the Roguerider siblings at Cauldron Ur proceeded with two additional sessions to further evaluate the capabilities of the XAM. The second session generated one shipping container each of nine new models of infantry weapons never seen before—temporarily classified as “Type Special”—along with their containers of ammunition. The third and final session was particularly notable, as it resulted in the production of one hundred 20 mm Megaflare Cannons, their power packs, and fire control systems, allowing them to be deployed immediately. This happened when the Megaflare weapon in question was still in the early stages of development at the MOASEC, but with the Cauldron’s help, its designers ensured that the Holy Empire could mass-produce such a cutting-edge weapon.
Once again, the Ministers and Directors in the room began to murmur and clamor in surprise and excitement at the incredible success of the latest test results. The promise of such advanced technology being accessible without waiting any longer was too overwhelming. This will make it easier for the Holy Empire to create weapons and equipment tailored to their preferred way of fighting, rather than being restricted to making the most of existing gear.
The Emperor calmly lifted his gaze from the document in front of him and turned to the Military Affairs Minister.
“Ignis, what are you going to do with these items?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Some of the items will be sent to the Ancient Ministry for further testing and analysis, and the rest will be distributed to each branch of the military to assess their performance. From there, we’ll determine if they should be adopted into service. Overall, we’ll treat them similarly to how we handle technology from the Ancient Sorcerous Empire.”
The Emperor nodded, finding no reason to object to Ignis and Bandero’s decision to basically “handle the item with care” as usual.
“And what of the Cauldron?”
Bandero answered, “Its XAM system should now be fully operational, Your Majesty. Additionally, the construction of the remaining three ordered Cauldrons should begin shortly.”
“Very well. Make sure all necessary resources are allocated to these projects and continue your efforts.”
“As you will!” Ignis and Bandero replied in unison, highly pleased with themselves and the results.
The Minister of Justice, a long-haired light blonde Viscount with cat ears, raised his hand.
“But Minister Ignis… does this mean you’ll be pushing the military to face a steep learning curve with this new equipment as soon as possible?”
“Not the entire military at once, of course,” Ignis replied. “What I’m proposing is that at first, we focus on training an elite unit to handle these… futuristic weapons immediately. The rest of the forces will be brought up to speed more gradually. Since the conflict with the Annonrial Empire and our hypothetical enemies will be decided on the high seas, naturally we are going to prioritize enhancing naval and aerial capabilities.”
“But there are always risks, right?” Foreign Minister Maddock commented. “Hiding warships is already difficult, and we must always assume that enemy intelligence is going to find out our movements eventually, so we need to fool them into thinking that we’re not making any progress in advancing.”
“I know, that’s why we are not going to use the Zeroth Magic Fleet for this purpose. Their prominence makes them too visible, but that also makes them a good distraction. We won’t tamper with any of the ships currently under construction either. First of all, we should mask Cauldron Ur as a disposal facility for ships stricken from the register. This will give the facility materials and those obsolete ships can be reforged at the Cauldron into new ships. And then…”
Ignis took a breath before addressing his next point. This time, he turned to the Emperor again.
“Your Majesty, I would like to request your permission to reestablish the long-dormant naval arm of the Imperial Guard… I propose using it as a test unit for the Cauldron weapons, with their base of operations around Cauldron Ur. But this, too, would serve as a distraction. Next, I suggest forming a new naval unit equipped with Cauldron weapons for covert operations specifically targeting Annonrial interests. This special force would be stationed on the uninhabited islands far to the northern Minerva Ocean to place them as far as possible from Annonrial detection. We could even construct a better Cauldron there.”
The Emperor considered this, then he posed a question that cut through the room’s growing excitement.
“Why is that necessary?”
Ignis grimaced. “Your Majesty, I regret that Cauldron Ur is located too close to the capital. Ideally, it should have been somewhere secluded, but alas, by the time the situation about Annonrial came to light, Cauldron Ur was already near completion, so moving it wasn’t feasible. All we can do now is to mask it under layers of deception.”
“Indeed, I see your point. Let this be a lesson for the future, but keep your calm.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Then…”
“Very well. You may proceed with preparations to reestablish an Imperial Guard fleet near the capital and the covert fleet. However, I expect regular updates on the progress as preparations move forward.”
A look of surprise struck Ignis at the Emperor’s immediate directive which approved all of his ideas. Replying with a deep bow from his seat, the Marquis tried to rein in his enthusiasm with an immense feeling of relief brewing in his heart.
There has never been a case of a country possessing a military power superior to the Holy Empire until now, so it was only natural that they wouldn’t have any reliable countermeasures to speak of, let alone ways to confront and ultimately defeat such a force. However, through the Council of Imperial Ministers, the White Lotus Leader’s novel suggestions impressed the Emperor and spared them from appearing helpless like fish out of water and unprepared in the face of a superior enemy.
If he heard any mention of ‘We can take it, don’t worry,’ Lucius of the Morning Star swore to the Goddess he would—
“Now, Herodia. Let’s hear your grievances before we proceed with the next topic.”
The Emperor’s attention shifted to the Minister of Treasury.
“Your Majesty, with all due respect… I cannot help but wonder if the very people who helped us so far will not turn out to be a risk. These powers they wield can easily be misused against others. If we do not address this issue soon, I fear we might one day find ourselves facing unintended consequences.”
“Oh, I know exactly what you are insinuating. But if you do not have anything to say other than suggesting all of us commit heresy, then think about it again.”
Even though the Emperor did not raise his voice, Herodia was visibly flustered. Her suspicions, while valid, were not to be aired in such a way. The Minister of Treasury thus bowed and complied with her sovereign’s words.
“Yes, Your Majesty… I apologize.”
Bandero silently scoffed at the scene. He hadn’t forgotten her antagonism toward his and Ignis’ ministries, particularly over budget disputes, and was still sore from it. His lips barely curled into a smirk, but he quickly pushed the thought aside in frustration. There was no satisfaction in seeing Herodia scolded by the Emperor, especially if that weird woman actually enjoyed being put in her place. It was very faint, but look at that eerie blush on her face!
Motherfucker. Even when losing, she just can’t let him win.
“Maddock. Your turn.”
❖⟐❖⟐❖
Evening
Eyes of the Order, Holy Milishial Empire
Despite it wasn’t even a day since the first of the Council of Imperial Ministers’ monthly emergency meetings, the White Lotus was already working to support the policies approved during the session. Notably, it was the moment when the Four Horsemen finally stepped up to do some heavy lifting, following Meteos’ example with Cauldron Ur. But while they were out there braving the cold blizzard, Meteos and Ace Roguerider visited the warmth of Magister Sorath’s office, testing the limits of certain ideas.
“…So, we really don’t have to worry about spare parts as long as we have the Cauldron?”
At one point, the Illustrator perked up from his musings and, with an amused tone, asked the two young men who were visiting his boss’s office. The Princess had still not returned from her meeting with the leadership of the Order of the Ancients.
“One of its wonderful advantages, yeah,” Ace shrugged. “Now, try to maximize it with an ample number of Cauldrons and a robust logistics system supporting it.”
“But placing Cauldron Ur near the capital and scaring your own friends like that… that’s pretty diabolical, you know?”
“It’s just another layer of misdirection. Let’s just pray for the best that it won’t be stupid enough, though.”
The silver-haired young man with a half-ponytail snorted derisively. There’s an old saying among weapons designers around the town: ‘Try all you like to make something more foolproof; but all you’ll manage is finding a better fool.’
Meteos nodded in affirmation of his brother’s words with a smile.
“If we are going to out-deceive the Deceiver, then we have to do it thoroughly. Now back to the topic, the deliberate deployment of a strangely diverse range of equipment to confuse the enemy is now on the table. The Cauldron is the reason why we are not afraid to suggest these. Please take a look.”
“Ah, very good. Let me see…”
The Illustrator took the rough draft that Meteos had just printed. Tapping his fingers against the desk while shuffling through the papers, he caught sight of a bullet point with a too-familiar naming convention and proceeded to read its contents.
“So, Young Meteos. Is this Pal Ouranos part being there because you are being ironic or are you really thinking of everything knowing it’s not at all ridiculous any longer?”
“I don’t know, sir, I’m trying to do better.”
“Alright. You can start by telling me more about it.”
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image [https://img.wattpad.com/2a7cd6684f8618e8317da886135236a6ebb8e114/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f675066525f39514c676a743076673d3d2d313439343631353138352e313830366130333331643061343965393831343438363834343939302e706e67]